Traceless harness.



Patented Dec. 9. I902.

H. W. & M. B. DEWEY.

TRACELESS HARNESS.

(Application filed Oct. 8, 1901-) (N0 Medial.)

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n'rnnrr HARPER WATTLES DEWEY AND MARK BYRON DEWEY, OF SIDNEY CENTER, NEW YORK.

TRACELESS HARNESS.

SPECIFIGATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 715,357, dated December 9, 1902.

Application filed October 8, 1901. Serial No. 78,015. (No model.)

DEWEY and FLARE BYRON DEWEY, citizens of front.

the United States, residing at Sidney Center, in the county of Delaware and State of New York, have invented a new and useful Traceless Harness, of which the following is a speci fication.

Our invention is an improved traceless harness in which the collar is united to swingbearers, with which the saddle is provided, by buckles to which the thill-supporting connectors are also attached, the said connectors having billets at their lower ends adapted to be connected to the outside girth, the said harness being used in connection with means for detachably pivotally connecting the connectors to the thills; and it consists in the peculiar construction and combination of devices hereinafter fully set forth and claimed.

In the drawings, Figure 1 is a side elevation of the-improved harness shown applied and embodying a breast-collar. Fig. 2 is a view similar to Fig. 1, showing the improved harness as embodying a neck-collar. Fig. 3 is an enlarged side elevation of a portion of a shaft and part of a harness saddle and girth, showing the improved attachments applied thereto. Fig. 4 is a detail perspective View of the shaft attachment. Fig. 5 is a transverse vertical section on the line 5 5, Fig. 3.

The numeral 1 designates a shaft or thill of ordinary form, and on the outer side thereof near the front extremity a plate 2 is rigidly secured and has a central outwardly-projecting headed pin or stud 8, this attachment being applied to both thills orshafts of the vehicle at similar points.

The harness embodying the features of the improvement in both forms shown includes a harness-saddle 4, provided, as usual, with a check-hook and terret-rings and having at opposite sides swing-bearers 5, one on each side. These swing-bearers are in the form of depending straps having a plurality of buckletongue openings therein for adjustable engagement with a combination-buckle 6, comprising a tongue 7 and a side loop 8 at the To the lower portion or end of the buckle 6 the upper end of a connector 9 is secured, which serves as ashaft-supporter and has a lower enlargement 10, with a central opening 11 therein to removably engage the headed pin or stud 3 of the plate 2. To the lower portion of the enlargement 10 the upper extremity of a billet 12 is movably attached by a link 13, the said billet being adjustably connected to the outside girth 14. Both forms of the device include these common features, and in the operation of hitching the supporter or connector 9 is drawn outwardly over the shaft or thill on opposite sides of the harness-saddle and caused to engage the pin or stud 3, and the billet 12 is then firmly and tightly secured to the outside girth 14, which closely holds the enlargement 10 of the supporter or connector against the outside of the shaft or thill and prevents any tendency toward accidental disengagement of the said supporter or connector. It will be seen that the supporter or connector serves as the holdback means, as indicated by Fig. 1 in dotted lines, as well as a support for the shaft or thill, and the adjustment of the several parts being similar on opposite sides of the harness-saddle cause the shafts or thills to be regularly held up, as desired.

To the loop 8 of the buckle a connector 15 is secured, and in the form of harness shown by Fig. 1 said connector continues into a breast-collar 16, which in the present instance will be provided with a stiff leather lining and also formed with a plurality of ventilatingapertures 17 to permit the air to circulate freely between the said collar and the portion of the animal engaged thereby. In the form of the harness shown by Fig. 2 the connector 15 has a loop or book 18 at its front end, which is movably attached to a neck-collar 19, and by this showing it will be seen that the improved harness may be employed for either light or heavy draft application.

In both forms of the harness it will be 0bserved that the usual breeching, traces, and 5 billet 12 is released from the girth l4, and the enlargement 10 of the supporter 9 is disengaged from the pin or stud 3, and from this arrangement a convenience in hitching and unhitching results by reason of the fact that only one securement is made on opposite sides through the medium of the billets.

The harness is not likely to irritate the horse and cause sore breast, because the collar being lined or made of hard leather lifts free from the horse with every forward movement of the vehicle, allowingfree circulation of air between the collar and the portion of the body of the animal engaged thereby, and thus prevents sweating and chafing. This forward movement of the collar could not take place to so great an extent if it Was not united with the swing-bearers and if the shafts were not suspended from the buckle 6 in the manner set forth. Furthermore, all forms of metal hangers and joints or other attachments are dispensed with and the construction of harness of this character materially simplified. In some instances the breast-collar shown by Fig. 1 may be of ordinary construction and without any lining or perforations; but it is preferred that the form of breast-collar shown be used.

Having thus described the invention, What is claimed as new is- In a traceless harness, the combination of a saddle having pivoted swing-bearers, a draft element having buckles to which the said bearers are detachably connected, connectors flexibly attached to and depending from the said buckles and provided with openings, billets flexibly connected to and depending from the connectors and having means for attachment to the outside girth, and plates adapted to be secured to the thills and having outstanding headed studs to engage the openings in the connectors, thereby to effect pivotal and detachable connection with the thills, substantially as described.

In testimony that we claim the foregoing as our own We have hereto affixed our signatures in the presence of two witnesses.

HARPER WATTLES DEWEY. MARK BYRON DEWEY. Witnesses:

ALBERT H. SIMPSON, GEORGE A. FLINT. 

